Feedback: Wake up, Detroit: Belle Isle lease is a good deal

Oct. 6, 2013

What is it with the people in Detroit? The state has offered to take on Belle Isle with a lease and put it back together for free.

Detroit mayoral candidate Mike Duggan says there is no guarantee that the grass will be mowed. Is there now? There is no statement from the state as to how much it will spend on upgrades. Is there any plan now about upgrades?

Duggan and Benny Napoleon seem to think that they and the City of Detroit can come up with a plan. Where are they going to get the money? Where has this plan been for the last 20 years? It is becoming obvious that these two guys are no different than what Detroit has had. No one is standing up and acting like a leader and saying, “This is what we need, and this is how we are going to get there. We are going to do something different.”

Robert J. Shoens

Northville

There's no excuse for hurting pensioners

As a Chrysler retiree, my experience with bankruptcy is that Chrysler and GM transferred their pensions to the companies that emerged from bankruptcy, and those companies are thriving. Pensions do not drag down well-managed organizations. The state and city can take decades to fully fund pensions without putting a great burden on either, or the retirees. They are just trying to avoid their obligations, and maximize what the bond-holders and bond insurance companies will get from bankruptcy. Who are Kevyn Orr and the governor trying to kid?

Chris Dyrda

Troy

Our future: From Motown to tech town

The Oct. 1 article “Motor City evolves into tech town” is good news for the continued revitalization and comeback of Detroit. Detroit, despite the looming, foreboding of a Chapter 9 bankruptcy, is like a berry ripening on a vine, ripe for the the picking and for entrepreneurs to come to the city and set up shop with office space afforded by Quicken Loans founder and CEO Dan Gilbert. And as Gilbert said, with office space for tech companies filling up so quickly, “better get in now before the going gets tough,” or as the adage says, “You can pay a little bit now, or a whole lot later.”

Thomas A. Wilson Jr.

Detroit

Detroit, what you get with poor leadership

Detroit is a challenge to run in good times. In bad times, it takes a man of rare quality. Detroit owes only $18 billion. The United States owes $17 trillion and an additional $126 trillion in unfunded liabilities. For perspective, that’s about $1 million for every taxpayer.

Career politicians have a short time frame. They kick the can down the road if they can. Detroit and the United States got what they deserve for electing people based on charm instead of proven ability and integrity.